at Enfield Lock station, and down the A1055
(Mollison Avenue / Meridian Way) to the North Circular,
which wasn't too bad. Then around the North Circular to
the A13,

Bzzzt! Perhaps you are using an old map... there is now a grade-separated
dual carriageway from Redbridge to Poplar called the A12. It is much
faster
than the route you took, especially since there is a plethora of road
works
on the A13 between Poplar and Dagenham.

Yes, and out of rush hour it's fine, but when I passed the junction the
queues to get off the North Circular onto the A12 were very long (couldn't
say how long, but at least half a mile), plus the massive queues approaching
the Blackwall Tunnel (according to the traffic reports they were tailing
back to Old Ford at that point), then I considered the route I took to be
the lesser of two evils.

I did the same journey a few days back, earlier on in the day, and was a bit
worried about the queuing onto the A12, but risked it anyway, it was fine -
not more than about 5-6 cars in each lane.

I did wonder though, if it might be a worthwhile shortcut to come off the
North Circular at Waterworks Corner onto the A104 Woodford New Road / Lea
Bridge Road, and then along A114 Whipps Cross Road to join the A12 at the
Green Man roundabout - does anyone know what this is like in the evening
rush hour?

And FWIW, the only major queuing I encountered on the A13 was going over the
Canning Town flyover, which was presumably mainly due to queuing for the
Blackwall Tunnel, combined with the fact that the East India Dock Tunnel is
closed.

Peter

"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
...

I did wonder though, if it might be a worthwhile shortcut to come off the
North Circular at Waterworks Corner onto the A104 Woodford New Road / Lea
Bridge Road, and then along A114 Whipps Cross Road to join the A12 at the
Green Man roundabout - does anyone know what this is like in the evening
rush hour?

It can be pretty dire. Avoid all day Saturday as the tailbacks going into
Leytonstone often block the roundabout.

In article ,
Robin Mayes wrote:
It can be pretty dire. Avoid all day Saturday as the tailbacks going into
Leytonstone often block the roundabout.

I went from Balham to Enfield to pick up some secondhand doors for the SD1
on a Saturday. I didn't know the best route so went the 'direct' way
through the city and then north through Tottenham. Left Balham at 12.30
and got back about 6.30, this time using the North Circular to Hanger
Lane. Could have easily got to Edinburgh by then.

--
*I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

It can be pretty dire. Avoid all day Saturday as the tailbacks going
into
Leytonstone often block the roundabout.

I went from Balham to Enfield to pick up some secondhand doors for the SD1
on a Saturday. I didn't know the best route so went the 'direct' way
through the city and then north through Tottenham. Left Balham at 12.30
and got back about 6.30, this time using the North Circular to Hanger
Lane. Could have easily got to Edinburgh by then.

That was using the A406 on the way back then, was it? Absolute PITA, that
section. I've pretty much got it sorted as far as avoiding the bad bits - I
normally get off just before the Clockhouse Junction, then cut across Green
Lanes, up to Bounds Green Road, back on the NCR there, and off onto the
A1000, and then through East Finchley, Hampstead Garden Suburb, and Temple
Fortune, before getting back on just after the A1 junction. Hence why I go
the other way. Not completely sure of traffic flows around Docklands on a
Saturday, but can't imagine it'd be too bad - I reckon the best way would be
A24/A3 to the Elehpant and Castle, around to Tower Bridge, then up the
Highway, Limehouse Link/Aspen Way, then A12 / A406.

Peter

My immediate instinct is to go down the A10 until Seven Sisters, then
the A503 through Camden, towards and around Regents Park into Baker
Street, right into Marylebone Road, left into Old Marylebone Road and
across into Sussex Gardens, left into Sussex Place eventually through
Hyde Park, across Kensington Gore, right into Prince Consort Road and
eventually cross the A4 at Gloucester Road, leading to Cranley Gardens
and Elm Park Gardens until you get to Kings Road where I turn right
until I reach Putney Bridge.

nmtop40 wrote:
My immediate instinct is to go down the A10 until Seven Sisters, then
the A503 through Camden, towards and around Regents Park into Baker
Street, right into Marylebone Road, left into Old Marylebone Road and
across into Sussex Gardens, left into Sussex Place eventually through
Hyde Park, across Kensington Gore, right into Prince Consort Road and
eventually cross the A4 at Gloucester Road, leading to Cranley Gardens
and Elm Park Gardens until you get to Kings Road where I turn right
until I reach Putney Bridge.

Cheers for that - variations on the A10 / A503 route seem quite popular -
I'm guessing the A10 is quite quiet coming into town in the evening rush
hour. Follows the general theory that most people are coming out of town in
the evening. Certainly worked a while back when I had a drop in Temple
Fortune and then a few in town - I just flew down the Finchley Road.

Unfortunately that was the theory I worked on choosing the A13 in the route
I took - I avoided the A12 due to the inevitable massive queues at that
junction, and from that point of view I made the right choice - the queuing
at the end of the A406 to get onto the A13 was pretty much non-existent.

Shame I didn't think of a route similar to yours as I'm reasonably familiar
with the streets that cross over Fulham Road + Kings Road, though I probably
would have either gone through Hammersmith and up Fulham Palace Road, or
North End Road and Fulham Road, as Kings Road is an absolute PITA at the
moment with all the roads around the gas works being shut - the queues up to
Wandsworth Bridge Road are a nightmare at the moment - even joining Kings
Road at 1927 from Lots Road it took me until 1950 to get to my destination
in Putney.

I could well have been better off going over Battersea Bridge and possibly
even coming back over Wandsworth Bridge, or just through Wandsworth, which
is normally busy, but never at a standstill for too long (I hesitate to use
the word 'flowing'). But when I went that way the other day I wanted to
turn right onto Westbridge Road (the road that leads up to the heliport) but
it's a banned right turn - does anyone know if it's possible to turn right
onto Battersea Church Road ??

Peter

In message ,
AstraVanMan writes

I could well have been better off going over Battersea Bridge and possibly
even coming back over Wandsworth Bridge, or just through Wandsworth, which
is normally busy, but never at a standstill for too long (I hesitate to use
the word 'flowing'). But when I went that way the other day I wanted to
turn right onto Westbridge Road (the road that leads up to the heliport) but
it's a banned right turn - does anyone know if it's possible to turn right
onto Battersea Church Road ??

It is - or at least it was certainly possible last time I drove that way
a few weeks ago.

--
Paul Terry

In article ,
AstraVanMan wrote:
But when I went that way the other day I wanted to turn right onto
Westbridge Road (the road that leads up to the heliport) but it's a
banned right turn - does anyone know if it's possible to turn right onto
Battersea Church Road ??

Yes. That's the route I use. Although the lights where you join Vicarage
Road can be a bit slow sometimes.

To get to Putney from here, I'd turn left at the first lights after you
join Yorks road, into Plough Lane. Turn right at the South Circular (can
sometimes be slow) then left at the next lights into Spencer Park/Windmill
Road/ Earlsfield Road/Penwith Road. Right at the T junction into Merton
Road then 4th left into Replingham Road. Follow this to the top of the
hill past Southfields station and turn right into Beaumont Road. This
brings you out on the A3 just before Tibbet's Corner going south, and you
can go round the roundabout and approach Putney down Putney Hill. Of
course it depends on which part of Putney you're going to and the traffic
in general, but this route is fairly free flowing.

--
*On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

(nmtop40) wrote in message . com...
My immediate instinct is to go down the A10 until Seven Sisters, then
the A503 through Camden, towards and around Regents Park into Baker
Street, right into Marylebone Road, left into Old Marylebone Road and
across into Sussex Gardens, left into Sussex Place eventually through
Hyde Park, across Kensington Gore, right into Prince Consort Road and
eventually cross the A4 at Gloucester Road, leading to Cranley Gardens
and Elm Park Gardens until you get to Kings Road where I turn right
until I reach Putney Bridge.

actually you wouldn't want to stay on the A10 until Seven Sisters.

You would either take the A1055 until Tottenham Hale then join the
A503 there.

But if you are on the A10 (Great Cambridge Road) then you'd be better
off joining the A1080 up to Wood Green then join the A105 to Manor
House and the A503 there.

If you don't fancy the A105 between Wood Green and Manor House then
you could use A504 to Hornsey and the parallel Wightman Road to the
top then left into Endymion Road to rejoin the A105, or alternatively
take the A504 a bit further then left into A103 Tottenham Lane and
through Crouch End and Hornsey Road until you rejoin the A503.

However having already joined the A103, why not turn right into
Hornsey Lane and cross Highgate High Road into Dartmouth Park Hill
then right onto the A400 (Fortress Road) at Tufnell Park until you
finally meet up with the A503 right near the end at Camden Town.

A final diversion is to turn right from Dartmouth Park Hill into
Chester Road or Chetwynd Road leading to Gordon House Road and
Mansfield Road, then past the light and left into Parkhill Road. Right
into Haverstock Hill (A502) and immediate left into England's Lane,
follow the road and across Adelaide Road into Primrose Hill Road and
round Primrose Hill until you turn right into St Marks Square to get
to Prince Albert Road, then right and left at next traffic light into
Regents Park.

actually you wouldn't want to stay on the A10 until Seven Sisters.

You would either take the A1055 until Tottenham Hale then join the
A503 there.

If I was to do the same journey again that's what I would have done, as the
place I was going from is quite near the A1055 near Enfield Lock.

But if you are on the A10 (Great Cambridge Road) then you'd be better
off joining the A1080 up to Wood Green then join the A105 to Manor
House and the A503 there.

That's Green Lanes through Harringay isn't it? Not too keen on that myself.

If you don't fancy the A105 between Wood Green and Manor House then
you could use A504 to Hornsey and the parallel Wightman Road to the
top then left into Endymion Road to rejoin the A105, or alternatively
take the A504 a bit further then left into A103 Tottenham Lane and
through Crouch End and Hornsey Road until you rejoin the A503.

Has Wightman Road got speed humps?

However having already joined the A103, why not turn right into
Hornsey Lane and cross Highgate High Road into Dartmouth Park Hill
then right onto the A400 (Fortress Road) at Tufnell Park until you
finally meet up with the A503 right near the end at Camden Town.

A final diversion is to turn right from Dartmouth Park Hill into
Chester Road or Chetwynd Road leading to Gordon House Road and
Mansfield Road, then past the light and left into Parkhill Road. Right
into Haverstock Hill (A502) and immediate left into England's Lane,
follow the road and across Adelaide Road into Primrose Hill Road and
round Primrose Hill until you turn right into St Marks Square to get
to Prince Albert Road, then right and left at next traffic light into
Regents Park.

Cheers for all this - all this knowledge will come in very handy one day.

Peter